1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an artificial resuscitation device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure that involves the compression and decompression of the thoracic cavity in response to pressure applied to the sternum. CPR is typically performed in many different emergency situations, such as when a person is experiencing circulatory arrest (i.e. cardiac arrest) and respiratory arrest (e.g. drowning).
It is known that most people who receive CPR outside of a hospital do not survive. For example, recent statistics indicate that only about 8% of people who receive CPR outside of a hospital survive. Conversely, about 88% of those who receive CPR at a hospital do survive. One reason people do not survive when receiving CPR outside of a hospital is that the CPR is not performed correctly. In some instances, the pressure applied during compression is not applied evenly. The applied pressure often will not compress the entire thoracic cavity to get adequate pumping started. Instead, the applied pressure is applied as a sharp force to the sternum. The sternum must also be compressed/decompressed at an optimal distance and rate. The chances of a successful resuscitation are greatly reduced if the chest is compressed too deeply or in too shallow a manner. Further, in an emergency situation, people would greatly benefit from a device that is simple to use and quickly guides them through the steps necessary to successfully perform CPR. Hence, it would be desirable to provide an alternative to conventional manual CPR techniques that particularly non-medical personnel can perform properly so as to increase the likelihood of surviving.